(Reuters) - U.S. banks say demand for business loans strengthened in the fourth quarter, with the net share of banks reporting an increase turning positive for the first time in two years, a Federal Reserve survey on Monday showed

The net share of banks reporting stronger demand for commercial and industrial loans from large and medium-sized businesses rose to 9.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024, and from small firms to 3.4%.

At the same time, banks also tightened standards for those types of loans, according to the Fed's quarterly Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey,